First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP Grows Holdings in VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY)

First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP raised its position in VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY - Free Report) by 34.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,950,000 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 500,000 shares during the quarter. VAALCO Energy comprises about 2.3% of First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP's holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP owned about 1.86% of VAALCO Energy worth $8,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of VAALCO Energy by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,901,984 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $17,052,000 after purchasing an additional 312,576 shares during the last quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS grew its position in shares of VAALCO Energy by 9.7% in the 4th quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 2,786,265 shares of the energy company's stock worth $12,176,000 after buying an additional 247,310 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of VAALCO Energy by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,510,060 shares of the energy company's stock worth $10,972,000 after buying an additional 16,473 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of VAALCO Energy by 51.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,468,093 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $10,784,000 after purchasing an additional 834,398 shares during the period. Finally, Tieton Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of VAALCO Energy by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Tieton Capital Management LLC now owns 1,805,053 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $7,888,000 after purchasing an additional 337,644 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.32% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded VAALCO Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, COO Thor Pruckl sold 10,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.95, for a total transaction of $40,167.55. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 174,992 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $691,218.40. This trade represents a 5.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

VAALCO Energy Stock Performance

Shares of EGY traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $3.58. The stock had a trading volume of 656,405 shares, compared to its average volume of 943,748. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.32. VAALCO Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $3.00 and a 12 month high of $7.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $376.18 million, a PE ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $3.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.27.

VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The energy company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.06. VAALCO Energy had a return on equity of 15.63% and a net margin of 17.93%. The company had revenue of $110.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.30 million. Analysts anticipate that VAALCO Energy, Inc. will post 0.43 EPS for the current year.

VAALCO Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.98%. VAALCO Energy's payout ratio is 45.45%.

VAALCO Energy Profile

VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.